New York's HALT Act -- the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act (Correctional Law §137) -- was passed in 2021 after nearly a decade of advocacy and took effect April 1, 2022. It is one of the most comprehensive solitary confinement statutes in the country: a 15-consecutive-day cap on segregated confinement, an absolute ban for eight categories of vulnerable people, a system-wide requirement that most prisoners receive at least 7 hours out of cell per day, and a requirement that people moved beyond 15 days go to a Residential Rehabilitation Unit (RRU) rather than back into isolation.
From the day it took effect, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) struggled -- and often failed -- to comply. A June 2024 Albany County court ruling found that DOCCS routinely violated HALT by placing people in segregated confinement for months or years without making the factual findings the law requires. Corrections officers have argued HALT created unsafe conditions and went on a wildcat strike in February 2025 demanding its repeal. DOCCS suspended HALT compliance during the strike. A July 2025 court order found that suspension violated the separation of powers and ordered HALT restored.
As of late 2025, DOCCS was attempting to narrow HALT's application by arguing the law does not apply to general population cell blocks. State Sen. Julia Salazar, who sponsored HALT, called that interpretation "demonstrably false."
New York's story is the story of a landmark law under sustained institutional resistance.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in New York
HALT uses "segregated confinement" as the statutory term, defined as in-cell confinement exceeding 17 hours per day. The law governs:
Special Housing Units (SHU): DOCCS's primary disciplinary and administrative isolation units, existing before HALT.
Residential Rehabilitation Units (RRUs): Created by HALT as an alternative to continued SHU placement after 15 days. People in RRUs should receive programming and less restrictive conditions than SHU, while still being separated from general population.
HALT also established system-wide requirements for all incarcerated people -- not just those in segregated confinement -- including at least 7 hours out of cell per day and access to programs.
What the HALT Act Requires
HALT (effective April 1, 2022) established the following in New York state prisons:
Definition: Segregated confinement = in-cell confinement exceeding 17 hours per day.
15-day consecutive cap: No one may be in segregated confinement for more than 15 consecutive days.
20-in-60 cap: No one may be in segregated confinement for more than 20 days in any 60-day period.
RRU alternative: After 15 consecutive days in segregated confinement, a person must be transferred to an RRU -- a less restrictive setting with programming -- rather than continued isolation.
Four hours of programming in SHU: People in segregated confinement must receive at least 4 hours of programming per day.
Seven hours out of cell system-wide: HALT requires at least 7 hours out of cell per day for most incarcerated people throughout the DOCCS system -- not only those in solitary.
Absolute ban for vulnerable populations: Eight categories of people cannot be placed in segregated confinement under any circumstances:
- People under 21 years of age.
- People over 55 years of age.
- Pregnant or postpartum people.
- People with serious mental illness.
- People with developmental disabilities.
- People with a "significant brain injury."
- People with physical disabilities that cannot be accommodated in segregated confinement.
- People who have been in segregated confinement and are within a year of release.
Factual findings requirement: DOCCS must make specific factual findings before placing someone in extended segregated confinement. It cannot rely on the general fact of a rule violation -- it must document why the specific violation warrants the specific extension.
DOCCS Compliance Problems
From April 2022 through 2025, DOCCS compliance with HALT was partial and contested:
June 2024 Albany County court ruling: The New York Supreme Court for Albany County found that DOCCS routinely violated HALT by placing people in segregated confinement for months or even years without making the factual findings the law requires. DOCCS had argued that finding a person guilty of a Tier III disciplinary violation was inherently sufficient to justify extended segregation. The court rejected this reasoning.
Tier III breadth: DOCCS treated all Tier III disciplinary violations as qualifying for extended segregated confinement. Tier III violations range from physical assault to spitting water or throwing paper at an officer.
2024 Justice Center annual report: In 2024, 22 individuals spent more than 15 days in SHU (average stay under 10 days, maximum 18 days). This was a dramatic decrease from 2023, when more than 600 individuals spent more than 15 days in SHU. The 2025 strike reversed these gains.
The 2025 Corrections Officer Strike and HALT Suspension
In February 2025, thousands of New York corrections officers and sergeants launched a wildcat strike, demanding, among other things, repeal of the HALT Act. They argued HALT had led to increased violence by limiting the disciplinary tools available to manage dangerous prisoners.
DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello suspended HALT compliance in February 2025, citing "facility-wide emergency" -- a statutory exception that allows temporary HALT suspension at individual facilities. As a result:
- People in solitary were confined for 22 to 24 hours per day.
- The 4-hour programming requirement was suspended.
- Even people who had not committed misconduct were kept in their cells without the 7-hour out-of-cell minimum.
The strike ended in March 2025, with approximately 20% of striking officers losing their jobs. DOCCS kept the HALT suspension in place past its self-imposed June 6, 2025 deadline to restore the law, promising facility-by-facility restoration as post-strike staffing improved.
The July 2025 Court Order
In July 2025, the Legal Aid Society filed suit on behalf of six incarcerated people, arguing DOCCS had unlawfully suspended HALT beyond any legitimate emergency justification. On July 2, 2025, Albany County Judge Daniel Lynch issued a preliminary injunction.
Key findings:
- DOCCS violated "the separation of powers" by suspending a duly enacted law.
- DOCCS issued its suspension "without any specific findings of fact related to the conditions in each facility."
- DOCCS "wholly failed to demonstrate" that the HALT suspension had a basis in rational fact.
The court ordered HALT restored by July 11, 2025. Going forward, DOCCS can only suspend HALT at specific facilities by filing publicly with the court new emergency declarations with facility-specific factual findings.
As of November 2025, DOCCS was attempting to narrow HALT's application by arguing the law does not apply to general population cell blocks where most prisoners are housed. Sen. Salazar called this interpretation "demonstrably false" and said no attorney licensed in New York should be giving such advice.
The HALT Act and the 2025 attempt to repeal it (companion bills A03217 and S2656) were rejected and died in committee in spring 2025, according to the Unlock the Box Campaign.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in segregated confinement (SHU or extended isolation) in a New York state prison:
Find where your person is housed. DOCCS provides an inmate lookup at doccs.ny.gov. This confirms current facility and housing status.
Contact the facility. Contact the facility superintendent's office to confirm your person's current housing designation (SHU, RRU, or general population), the reason for placement, the start date, and the expected duration.
Know the HALT caps. Under HALT, 15 consecutive days in segregated confinement is the maximum. After 15 days, transfer to an RRU is required. If your person has been in SHU for more than 15 consecutive days without transfer to an RRU, this may violate HALT. Document placement dates.
Know the vulnerable population ban. If your person is under 21, over 55, pregnant, has a serious mental illness, developmental disability, significant brain injury, or physical disability that cannot be accommodated in SHU, placement in segregated confinement violates HALT. Document the qualifying condition.
Know the programming and out-of-cell requirements. Four hours of programming per day are required in SHU under HALT. At least 7 hours out of cell per day are required system-wide. Document what your person reports receiving.
Know the current compliance status. As of mid-2025, DOCCS has been under court order to restore HALT compliance. The situation is actively evolving. Verify the current implementation status through NYCLU, Prisoners' Legal Services, or Legal Aid Society at publish time.
File a grievance. DOCCS has an administrative grievance process. Help your person file formal grievances for HALT violations -- exceeding the 15-day cap without RRU transfer, denial of programming, violation of the 7-hour out-of-cell requirement, or placement of a vulnerable population member in segregated confinement.
Contact the New York Civil Liberties Union. The NYCLU (nyclu.org) has been the lead litigant on HALT compliance and is the primary legal resource for New York solitary confinement cases.
Contact Prisoners' Legal Services of New York. PLS of New York (plsny.org) co-litigated the June 2024 compliance case and provides direct legal services to New York state prisoners.
Contact the Legal Aid Society. The Legal Aid Society filed the July 2025 strike-related suit and may be able to provide referrals (legal-aid.org).
Seek legal help. If your person is a vulnerable population member in segregated confinement, if the 15-day cap has been exceeded without RRU transfer, or if HALT programming requirements are not being met, contact the NYCLU or Prisoners' Legal Services.
Frequently asked questions
What is the HALT Act in New York prisons?
HALT stands for Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement. Passed in 2021 (Correctional Law §137) and effective April 1, 2022, it is New York State's primary statute governing solitary confinement. Key provisions: 15-consecutive-day cap on segregated confinement; 20-in-60-day cap; mandatory RRU transfer after 15 days; 4 hours of programming in SHU; 7 hours out of cell per day system-wide; absolute ban for 8 vulnerable population categories; required factual findings for any extended placement.
What is solitary confinement called in New York prisons?
HALT uses "segregated confinement," defined as in-cell confinement exceeding 17 hours per day. DOCCS operates Special Housing Units (SHUs) for disciplinary and administrative isolation, and Residential Rehabilitation Units (RRUs) as a required alternative after 15 days in segregated confinement. HALT also imposes system-wide conditions for all DOCCS facilities, not only those in segregated confinement.
How long can someone stay in solitary in New York?
Under HALT: 15 consecutive days maximum in segregated confinement, and 20 total days in any 60-day period. After 15 days, transfer to an RRU is required. DOCCS has repeatedly exceeded these limits -- a June 2024 court found routine violations. The February-July 2025 strike-related HALT suspension resulted in people being held 22-24 hours per day without any time limit. Court order restored HALT requirements by July 11, 2025.
Who cannot be placed in solitary under the HALT Act?
Eight categories face an absolute ban: people under 21; people over 55; pregnant or postpartum people; people with serious mental illness; people with developmental disabilities; people with a significant brain injury; people with physical disabilities that cannot be accommodated in SHU; and people within one year of release who have previously been in segregated confinement.
What are conditions in New York segregated confinement?
Under HALT: maximum 15 consecutive days in a SHU cell; 4 hours of programming per day required. After 15 days, transfer to RRU with less restrictive conditions. System-wide: 7 hours out of cell per day required. During the 2025 HALT suspension: 22-24 hours per day confinement, programming suspended, even people without misconduct confined to cells without the 7-hour minimum. The 2024 Justice Center annual report noted that SHU average stays were under 10 days in 2024 -- a significant improvement from 2023 -- before the 2025 strike reversed conditions.
Did DOCCS comply with the HALT Act?
Not consistently. A June 2024 Albany County court found DOCCS routinely violated HALT by placing people in segregated confinement for months or years without the required factual findings. DOCCS treated all Tier III violations (ranging from assault to throwing paper) as automatically qualifying for extended segregation. In February 2025, DOCCS suspended HALT compliance entirely during the corrections officer strike. A July 2025 court order found that suspension violated the separation of powers. In November 2025, DOCCS was attempting to narrow HALT's coverage by arguing it doesn't apply to general population cell blocks.
What happened to HALT during the 2025 prison strike?
Corrections officers went on a wildcat strike in February 2025, demanding repeal of HALT, which they alleged caused increased violence. DOCCS Commissioner Martuscello suspended HALT compliance, citing "facility-wide emergency." This resulted in 22-24 hours of daily confinement, suspension of programming, and elimination of the 7-hour out-of-cell system-wide requirement -- even for people without misconduct. The strike ended March 2025 with ~20% of officers losing their jobs. DOCCS kept the suspension in place past its June 6 deadline. A July 2025 court order required restoration of HALT by July 11, 2025.
What did the July 2025 court order say about HALT?
Albany County Judge Daniel Lynch issued a preliminary injunction on July 2, 2025, finding that DOCCS violated "the separation of powers" by suspending HALT without the required facility-specific factual findings. The court found DOCCS "wholly failed to demonstrate" a rational basis for the suspension. HALT was ordered restored by July 11, 2025. Going forward, DOCCS can only suspend HALT at specific facilities by filing new, facility-specific emergency declarations publicly with the court.
Can families visit someone in NY segregated confinement?
Visiting during SHU placement is typically restricted to non-contact visits. During the 2025 HALT suspension, visitation was suspended along with programming and recreation at many facilities. Contact the specific DOCCS facility to confirm current visiting status before traveling. DOCCS facility contact information is at doccs.ny.gov. Written mail generally retains stronger protections during SHU placement.
What can families do if someone is in NY solitary?
Use DOCCS's inmate lookup at doccs.ny.gov to find your person. Contact the facility to confirm SHU or RRU placement, start date, stated reason, and current programming and out-of-cell time. Document whether the 15-day cap has been exceeded without RRU transfer. Document whether your person is in a vulnerable population category. File grievances for HALT violations. Contact the NYCLU (nyclu.org), Prisoners' Legal Services of New York (plsny.org), or Legal Aid Society (legal-aid.org) for legal advocacy. Verify current HALT implementation status at publish time -- the compliance situation remains actively contested. ---